Crowded Houston animal shelters are offering free adoptions
Many shelters are offering free or low-cost adoptions for the rest of July as part of the Bissell Pet Foundation’s “Empty the Shelters” campaign.
One Houston shelter has over 400 dogs in a building that can comfortable hold 250, Harris County Pets, the animal control division of the county, posted on its Facebook page Friday.
“We cannot continue to house this many dogs,” the post reads. “It’s not only a staffing and resource issue, but a humane issue for the dogs.”
Montgomery County, Galveston County and other suburban animal service are also operating near maximum capacity.
The Bissell Pet Foundation’s national campaign donates to shelters so that adoption fees are reduced to no more than $50 for a fully vaccinated, spayed or neutered and microchipped pet.
Why shelters are full this summer
Shelters across the country have seen more owner surrenders as economic conditions worsen. Some families are struggling to pay for veterinary care and food. Others are moving to apartments that don’t accept pets or are facing eviction.
Scott Jeansonne, director of veterinary public health at Harris County Public Health, said the increase in owner surrenders has made it difficult for the shelter to get stray dogs off the streets.
“We have a lot of people call us up and say they’re bringing their dog because they’re moving to a place where they can’t have it or the dog has become inconvenient to their lifestyle,” Jeansonne said.
If people need to re-home their dogs, Jeansonne said, the municipal animal shelter isn’t the best place to put them. These dogs take up kennel space and prevent animal services from picking up strays. Instead, he recommends contacting rescue organizations that specialize in placing dogs with vetted families.
Texas does not require owners to spay or neuter their animals. Stray or unaltered animals have litters that contribute to overcrowding in the shelter. People may think they’re doing the right thing by taking a stray litter to a shelter, but Jeansonne said this is misguided.
“If you see a litter of kittens or puppies, please leave them alone,” he said. “Even if you don’t see the mom, she’s most likely nearby and freaking out because you’re stealing her babies.”
Newborn litters separated from their mother strain shelter resources. For example, puppies under four weeks need to be bottle fed every three or four hours. Staff barely finish one round of feeding before they have to start the process over.
The babies have a better chance of surviving if they stay with mom before being brought to the shelter, or if mom is brought to the shelter with them, Jeansonne said.
How to help
- Shelters need people to foster dogs for two to six weeks at a time. This allows staff to coordinate transportation for those dogs to other shelters, often in northern states where shelters have more room.
- Spay or neuter your pets and don’t let them roam the neighborhood. Texas does not have a spay/neuter requirement, which has caused a stray problem. Letting pets wander increases the stray population and strains the shelter system.
- Get your dog microchipped and registered with the county. As of this year, Houston requires all residents to get their pets microchipped. Owners can get their pets microchipped at their veterinarian or at BARC for $15. All dogs and cats over three months old are required by law to have a current rabies vaccination and a pet license in Harris County.
- Adopt, don’t shop. Shelters are running adoption specials through the end of July.
Here are the local facilities participating in the Empty the Shelters campaign:
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